Loose
by Alex Ultra
Summary: Rated for mild language.  Ranma and Akane are about to find themselves caught up in something, something far bigger than any one or any THING they've ever known.  And who is this man and what does he have to do with things?
1. Legend of Hell

                New story, new idea, all new.  It struck me as a good idea, maybe it will you too.

                ~~~~~~***   LEGEND OF HELL   ***~~~~~~

                He fought.  Each day he fought.  He fought because it lessened the pain in his heart.

                Hell is such a terrible place.  Even fighting provides no relief to most.

                Partly because each hit was felt by both parties.  Each attack, each defend.  Each stab to the soul was felt by both the attacked and the attacker.

                Satan didn't mind their fighting.  It was a part of being in hell.  They were not only allowed to take out their frustrations on others, it was actually encouraged.

                But he did not fight out of frustration.  He fought because it was what he did in life.

                Narrowing his eyes, those formless yellow orbs he had been given upon his entrance to hell, he stared down the charred form of the lost soul he was now beating down.  He had gotten used to the pain of the attack, Satan himself had made sure that he felt just barely less than his target.

                But that was only because Satan saw him beating down on the lost souls in his domain.  He saw him, a former hero, committing this odd-yet-effective torture on all the souls throughout hell.

                But if he could see the hidden part of it, he would surely disapprove.

                Smiling, he performed the final move.  "Force Feedback." A bright light of pure obsidian erupted from the ends of what served for hands to his decayed body, the one given him for the purpose of holding him down, as with all who were in Hell.

                The energy of darkness found its mark in the heart of the poor man who had committed his mortal sin.

                Unknown to Satan, or any others who had not experienced it, the connection was made.  "The pain I bring is also a message.  Give me your energy, your dark emotions, and I will give you hope.  The time has come, and Satan has held too many for too long.  If you trust me, then I can bring us from this place."  The connection was never broken.  Any offer of hope was taken by most of those in this place.

                Walking away from the battle, he spotted his next target.

                For the last thousand years he had been gathering them.  Connecting souls to his own, just as he had been told.

                This was why Satan would not have approved.  Because most Tyrants do not support their own downfall.

~~

                'Stupid Ryoga, stupid fathers, stupid Happosai.  Stupid fiancees.  Can't they see?'  "CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I JUST NEED A LITTLE TIME ALONE!?!?"

                "RANMA!!  YOU SHALL NOT HAVE AKANE!!"

                "RANMA!!  YOU MUST MARRY AKANE!!" The fathers were working together, fighting off Ryoga, who, as it had come to their attention, wanted to keep Ranma and Akane apart.

                "Ranma marry Shampoo, yes?" Shampoo was fighting with Ukyo, who for some reason wasn't using her spatulas, but instead was using a bunch of forks.

                "Shampoo!!!  I am his betrothed!!  He must marry ME!!"

                Akane was leaning against a wall, watching without interest.  She hadn't said a single word since the failed wedding.  She only shook or nodded her head to a yes/no question.

                Happosai, though he was not fighting, was having the time of his life, as the two girls fighing in the street were wearing rather brittle clothing, which had been shredded during the battle of sharp objects.

                Ranma knew that if it weren't for the weapons flying around, Happosai would have been latched onto one of those bosom's, and just the sight of that mad grin on the master's face sent his stomach into convulsions.

                Finally sick of the constant fighting, he had attempted to take Akane on a training trip with him.  Maybe they could get along better if they were alone for a while.

                But the moment they had heard of it, they started coming.  Ryoga appeared mostly by chance, but he sure didn't help any.

                Kodachi was the first to come, and the first to end up with a rather large lump on the head and in a hospital somewhere.  Then her brother attacked him at school, preventing him from talking to Akane, and recieving his own lump, along with a cracked rib.  His location was also unknown.

                Then, there was the current predicament.

                Truly, he should have just taken Akane and ran, then he could have avoided all this mess.  But then Akane would have yelled at him and refused to come.

                Gripping his forehead, he tried to contain his anger.  'What do I do NOW!!!???'  He learned long ago that trying to defuse a situation like this often went wrong.  But the fighting _had to STOP!!!!!_  "SSTOOOOOPPPPP IIIIITTTTT!!!!!!"

                All present stopped for a moment, even Akane came out of her passive gaze to look at him curiously.  All, that is, except for Shampoo, who seemed unaffected by the sudden outburst. "HA!  Have you, violent spatula girl!"

                Ranma's ruby aura didn't go unnoticed by those watching him as he grabbed Shampoo's wrist, which was pulled back and readied for an attack.

                Shampoo had only barely noticed that she couldn't move her wrist before the pain hit her.  His chi was generating a heat she would rather not have come in contact with, and it was now snaking its way up her arm as he pulled her away from Ukyo.

                Shampoo only looked pained and confused as she was tossed effortlessly through the air, but Ukyo, rather than seeing a knight in shining armor, saw a scary-looking Ranma with fury in his eyes.

                "SHAMPOO I SAID STOP IT!!!" As his energy ran through his body his voice seemed to boom through the area.  The man who had killed a god was now angry, and that was never a good thing.

                Shampoo pulled herself out of the rubble that was once a wall.  Looking at her airen, she rubbed her wrist with pain, confusion, and fear playing accross her eyes.  But for once, she stayed silent, too shocked to speak.

                Noticing that he had the attention of all present, he calmed down, letting his aura reduce to a flicker, barely outlining his features.

                Closing his eyes, he let out a sigh.  "I only wanted to talk to Akane, but someway, somehow, and for some reason everyone does their best to make it that much harder!  All the fighting, all the avoiding, running, hitting, yelling, and competition has to STOP!!!" His red aura flared a little before he got a handle on it again.  "I'm no good with words, but even though I've made it CLEAR what I want, everyone seems to think that I'm wrong!" He flashed a look to Shampoo, hoping she would get the message. Closing his eyes in an angry scowl, he growled out the rest to those in the group.  "Well for once I'm not going to let there be ANY confusion!  _This is MY life!  And I'm gonna live it how I WANT!!_"

                Shampoo was about to open her mouth, but the glare she recieved shut her up pretty quickly.  "If I am to keep my sanity, I have to do things MY way for a while!"  An insane killer of gods was not something any of them wanted to see.  Even his current mood frightened all but Ryoga, Ryoga only saw his rival trying to make his life worse.

                "RANMA!!" Ryoga didn't get the chance to finish his thought as he recieved a chi-enhanced foot to the face, which knocked him through three walls and straight into darkness.

                Akane was lost, her passive mood hung over her head, even as she witnessed the vicious attack. 'He was finally shut up.'  She didn't even think about yelling at Ranma, she didn't want to care anymore.

                But there was one thing she couldn't ignore.  The way Ranma looked at her.

                The sadness in his eyes always struck her.  Had he ever looked at her like that before?  Maybe she didn't notice?  Maybe when her mood quieted after _that_ day she simply observed him better?

                Those sad eyes looked at her again, Ranma had turned to her and was now closeing in.  "Akane, you're the only one I couldn't stand to have angry with me.  You're the only one I couldn't stay angry with for long.  You're the only one..." He shook his head in an attempt to clear the cob-webs.  "I... I don't know what would happen if I were to lose you... and at Jusendo, I nearly did." The cracking in his voice betrayed his shadowed eyes.  He was fighting a losing battle.

                His silence lasted for a while, several emotions seemed to wash over the area as he went over his thoughts.  There was some anger, there was frustration, there was even a little bit of that helpless feeling.

                But Happosai could have sworn... was that sadness he felt?

                For an uncomfortable thirty seconds they stood there.  Akane had managed to stand straight.  She wanted to hear what he had to say.

                He looked at her with an angry determination, having wiped the tears away.  "Akane, I know we haven't always gotten along, but I want to try.  But to do that, I have to get away." His voice lost its force as he looked at her with a slightly softer expression.  "And I was hoping... you could come with me."

                As Ranma stood, holding both hands at his sides, he watched Akane for a reaction.

                Lowering her face, she slowly started walking toward him.

                In five steps she had covered the distance.  Ukyo looked saddened, Ryoga had just awakened to hear his proclimation, and was now waiting to see Akane's reaction, staying in the alleyway so as to not get lost.  The fathers looked happy beyond any description.  But Shampoo looked angry as she watched the scene the two were making.

                Akane stood there, in front of Ranma for a good ten seconds, not doing anything.

                Slowly, she reached out with one hand, and took Ranma's in her own.

                Ranma looked to her face and saw the tears streaming down her cheeks.  Wrapping his free hand around Akane's back and waist, he gave her a shoulder to cry on.

                Akane gave up the hand she had held onto in preference to wrapping Ranma in, as if he were a teddy-bear that would give her comfort.  For the first time in two weeks, she found her voice.

                Practically forced through the sobs, she whispered out against Ranma's chest her own message.  "You don't know how long I've wanted to hear you say that, Ranma."

                The aura that once surrounded Ranma now seemed to wrap the both of them in a shimmering red glow.

                Shampoo had finally had enough.  Ranma was HER husband!  Pulling out her trusty bonbori's she began to advance on the two.

                Until she was knocked on her back, finding a strange creature suddenly attached to her bosom.  Looking down angrily at the infuriating master, she saw those big eyes looking mockingly up at her.  "Such a perfect moment should not be interrupted!"

                "Old pervert man not stop Shampoo from getting Ranma!" Using her left hand to remove the attachment (along with the remnants of her shirt) she rammed him into the ground with her right.

                As she stomped toward the two, she saw Ranma look at her with a determined look, but he was not her target.  The violent girl needed punished!

                "VIOLENT GIRL NOT GET RANMA!!" She swung her weapon true and forcefully at the girl, ignoring Ranma's embrace.

                But her swing hit cement as the two of them seemed to disappear before her eyes.  She felt a sudden leap in Ranma's aura, and then they were gone.  She couldn't even feel them anymore!

                She looked perplexedly at the spot where they had been standing, and the end of her weapon now sat embedded into the street.

                Happosai sat up in his hole. "I don't have to, as it seems fate already has."

                Shampoo sat on the ground, feeling lost.  'What do I do now?' After a good two minutes, she resolved to ask her Great-Grandmother.

                Ukyo had left for her resturaunt as the fathers went to the nearest bar to celebrate.  As for Ryoga, well, he was probably in India by now.

                Ranma watched the goings-on below him, having hid his aura he could be no further than fifteen meters from them and even Happosai couldn't sense them.

                In his mind, there was only one thing left to do, but it could wait until Akane was ready.

                But Akane was content to just stay right there, with Ranma.

~~~

                Ranma had taken them away from there, not caring to get caught up with anyone else.

                Akane had cleared the tears from her eyes, yet refused to let Ranma let go of her.  After a while, she noticed their surroundings.  "Why are we here?"

                "Doctor Tofu promised me, if I ever needed to, I could come here."

                "Hmm, that's nice." She still refused to move, but she was still curious.  "So... what now?"

                Ranma smiled.  "How soon will you be ready to leave?"

                Closing her eyes, she answered honestly.  School was finally out, so she was free.  "Anytime."

                "How about right now?"

                Akane smiled.  "I'll have to get my things."

                Ranma laughed slightly.  "You know, Akane, for once, I thought ahead." Akane pulled away from him and looked puzzled.  He took the opportunity to stand up and walk to a corner of the store-room they were in.

                Reaching behind the counter, he produced two backpacks.  One purple, one red.  "I've been having Kasumi help me secretly get the things you would be needing and packed them in this bag." He held out the purple one for her.  "And I've got my stuff in here." He shouldered the red one, which matched effortlessly with his red shirt.

                Accepting the bag offered her she looked at and in it questioningly.  "Yes, everything.  Kasumi knew what you would need, and she helped put those things away." Seeming satisfied with that, she shouldered it as well.

                "If you want to, we can leave right now."

                Akane looked at the bag, as if hoping it would give her the answer she was seeking.  After a while, she spoke, uninhibited.  "Where are we going?"

                Ranma smiled again.  "China, I already know most of the terrain, and most of the places we should avoid.  And it's close enough that it seems like the obvious choice."

                "And you plan on swimming there." It wasn't even a question.

                "Hehe, yeah.  It makes more sense that way, or for me it does.  And besides, I can help you with the swimming part that way."

                Worry came across her features, she was afraid of that.  But Ranma's confidence was catchy, and she admitted to herself that she felt... safer with him around.  "Then let's get started!"

                Dr. Tofu listened in from the next room, barely holding his attitude at the mention of _her_ name.  He knew this day would come, he knew that Ranma would eventually take him up on that offer.  He was also glad he had given Ranma that book on Medicines and herbs.  That should help to keep disaster at bay.

                Hearing the door swing open, he saw Ranma, and then Akane exit the room.  "Hey doc, we're leaving now.  Thanks for all your help." Ranma smiled gratefully, and Tofu returned the smile without saying a word.

                He waved the duo off as they left the office.

                'And now they're gone.' Taking a look at his schedule, he saw that he had no more appointments and he could effectively close up shop.  Basically that meant he could turn the 'open' sign around and lie down for a while.

                True, accidents happen, in which case there were a number of people who could get his attention if someone came to his office.

                Besides, he felt that things would be a bit calmer with Ranma gone.

~~

                'The time is near.  All those centuries in this place, and it is finally time.' His silence was lost, lost in the constant wails and shouting that served as the constant reminder.

                He was in hell, and as long as he was, there would be no peace.

~~

                It was time, and his growing anticipation was obvious only to him.

                It did not suit for a diety of his stature to grow impatient, with anything.

                But it was coming, and only he knew.  Well, there were those four at the gates, but they knew everything that transpired between the worlds.

                His name was Hara, the spirit of forgiveness.  And his day was coming.

                He couldn't wait.

~~

                "What is this?" Akane asked Ranma with an unsure tone as she eyed the boat curiously.  "I thought we were swimming there?"

                Ranma smiled.  "We are!  But we're going to take this thing with us!" Throwing his bag in the simple wooden boat, he fished around in it and pulled out his swimming suit.  "Might as well get changed!"

                Nodding, Akane put her own bag on the ground and started fishing around it in.

                PLOOSH!!

                Akane looked up to see a soaked Ranma-chan walking back to shore and wiping the water out of her face.  "Now I should probably change my clothes." Seeming rather indifferent, she then went to strip down as Akane did the same, sheltered from prying eyes by the dock they were standing under.

                Ranma changed into a red suit with two white stripes going up the sides and ending at the armpit.  Across the front was the word 'Cute' in yellow lettering.  As she saw this a blush worked its way to her cheeks as a sweatdrop formed behind her head.  'What made Kasumi think I wanted that?'

                Akane's was a floral pattern, a yellow backdrop with bright red and blue flowers.  Looking at it, she decided she liked it.  'Kasumi always knew what looked good.'

                Deciding to ignore the 'Cute' thing, Ranma walked out to the front of the boat and produced two ropes tied to the front of it.  "Well, we might as well get started."  She didn't see Akane's unsure glance to the sea.

                'You will NOT get the best of me!!!  I _will_ do this!!' Grinding away the unsure feeling and finding her courage, she took a step forward.

                She felt water around her foot.  "I did it!  I'm in the water!"

                "Good!  Now just twelve more of those and you'll be in the _shallow_ water!"

                Akane could feel the tear start, the one that just hung at the bottom of her eyes.

~~

                It took her a good minute, but she did work her way into deep enough water where she had to start using her arms, where Ranma was.

                Ranma had started giving her lessons in power-swimming.  She held Akane up as she got used to the motions and the feel of pushing against water.  This was good, as all she had known up to then was the doggy-paddle, and even that was iffy.

                Ranma bobbed away from the boat, which was anchored in place, and smiled.  "Now go between me and the boat a coupla times."

                Akane smiled teasingly.  "Yes, sensei." She went to it as she kicked off of the boat.

                Ranma smiled teasingly as well.  "Of course I am!" She saw Akane stumble a little, but stay afloat

                When she got to Ranma, Akane pulled one hand on each of her shoulders and pulled her head out of the water.  "What do you mean you are?"

                "Well, from here on I will be teaching you everything I know!" The teasingly prideful smirk never seemed to leave.  "So, that technically makes me your sensei!"

                Scowling a little, Akane dived back under and turned around.

                Dodging the kicks Akane sent her way, Ranma laughed as she watched Akane practice swimming.

                "Good, now tie one of those roped around your waist and pull the boat with you." Akane looked puzzled for a moment, but decided that it wouldn't do for her to be tired.  And besides, that was what they'd be doing the rest of the way to China anyway.

                Ranma watched Akane struggle with the boat for a while.  "Okay!  I think we're ready!  Let's get started!"

                Akane treaded water (something else Ranma helped her with in the last three hours) and watched Ranma tie the end of the other rope around her own waist.

                "Now!  Let's go!!" Ranma took off, pulling the boat behind her.

                "AAAAAHHHHH!!!!  RANMA!!  TOO FAST!!!" Akane shouted as she stayed plastered to the front of the boat, holding her index and pinkies out on both hands for good measure.

                Ranma stopped, thinking she heard shouting.  Looking back curiously, she shouted as well when she saw the tip of the boat heading for her head.  "AAHH!"  Ploosh!  She just barely managed to duck under the boat, but was then pulled to the surface by the speeding boat.

                It didn't take too long for the boat to come to a rest.  Akane looked at Ranma angrily and yelled at her.  "Stupid!  Slow down!"

                Ranma put her hand behind her head.  "Uh, I guess I don't know my own speed!"

                Akane moved to the opposite side of the boat to Ranma and held onto the side.  "Get in!"

                "What?"

                "Get in!  I'll hold this side down." Ranma got in, as told, and offered her hand to the girl still in the water.

                "No.  I'm gonna pull for now.  When I'm done then you can pull." Akane moved out to the front of the boat and started pulling on her own, preferring this to the scare she had just had.

~~

                Slowly, Akane opened her eyes.  Seeing the distorted look of a ceiling she blinked the morning fuzz away.

                She was content to lie there for a time.  'Was it a dream?  It felt so real!'

                Rolling over in bed, she got a nose full of red hair.  Ranma-chan was sleeping right next to her!  "RANMA!!!"

                Ranma got up immediately and backed into the corner, still wearing the 'Cute' suit.  "WHAT!?  WHAT'S WRONG!!"

                The anger left rather quickly as Akane suddenly latched onto Ranma around the waist.  'So it wasn't a dream.  I'm so glad.'

                Ranma fussed a bit with the other girl around her waist.  "Am I missing something?"  Tapping lightly on Akane's head, Ranma got her attention.  "Can I go back to bed now?  It's like two in the morning."

                Akane blinked once... twice, and then pulled Ranma to arm's length.  "How did we get here and why were you in my bed!?"

                Ranma shrugged under the other girl's gaze.  "When you started complaining about being tired, I switched places with you.  You apparently went to sleep and I got us the rest of the way to China.  By the time we got here it was getting dark so I found a hotel near the shore.  But we don't have a whole lot of money so we had to share." Yawning, the redhead looked back at Akane, too tired to explain any more.  "Now can I go back to bed?"

                Akane let her go but wasn't finished asking questions.  In the dim lighting she watched Ranma crawl back to the bed.  "How come you're still a girl?"

                "Too tired... sleep now, change later."

                'Well, I guess that answers that.' Akane decided it wasn't all that bad to be sleeping next to Ranma.  Which means that she didn't really want to sleep on the floor.

                Ranma noted this as she drifted off to sleep.

                Akane noted the way Ranma mumbled in her sleep.  Saying such things as "Hello mister purple demon, do you want to fight me some more?  Oh come on!  Please?!?"

                She decided not to get on Ranma's bad side from then on.  Not that she really wanted to.

                ~~~~~~***   End of Chapter 1   ***~~~~~~

                Well, that's it for chapter one!  I'll bet you thought I was talking about Ranma for a while there, didn't you?  Hehe, nope!  I've got other plans for him!  ^.^

                This is the first chapter, and I haven't even really began yet!  But I really would like to hear what you guys think!  Review me plz!!

                Alex: Hey, which hell is this?  Christian?  Jewish?

                Alex Ultra: Actually, it's basically the generic hell.  And I only call Satan Satan because that's what _he_ calls him.  He would be closer to a Japanese Demon Lord, simply being the most powerful, and so, the one with the most authority.

                Alex: So what... is it Japanese hell?

                Alex Ultra: NO!!  It's not any of them!  It's all of them together!!!

                Alex: But how would you know?

                Alex Ultra:  -_- I don't.  But it seems to fit a lot better than the H.F.I.L. of DBZ.  That seemed like the only JAPANESE reference I had.

                Alex: Um, okay.  Whatever.  Hey, do you have any anchovies?

                Alex Ultra: Why?

                Alex: Because I'm making pizza!

                Alex Ultra: O.o No, I don't.  I live in NEBRASKA for pete's sake!

                Alex: So... I know that means something.  But I can't place my finger on it.

                Alex Ultra. X.x Whatever.  We just don't have any Anchovies.

Bringer of Hope and Creator of Worlds

                Alex and Alex Ultra

                                LATER


	2. Hellish Heavenly Encounter

                Yo!  Welcome to chapter two!  Not many questions are likely to be opened here so... I guess that means the story ain't done yet, ne?

                Well, that's enough of my chattering, but just in case I didn't do it last time, here's the disclaimer.

                Don't own it, never will, you understand that, so I don't need to repeat myself.

                Well, time to get on with it.

                ~~~~~~***   HELLISH HEAVENLY ENCOUNTER   ***~~~~~~

                Ranma stepped into the shower, which was thankfully hot.  As the water came in contact with her skin his eyes shot wide open.  "AAAHHH!!!  HOT!!!"

                Akane heard the shouting from the other room and chuckled a bit.

                Beating on the effected arm and shoulder, Ranma managed to turn the heat down just enough to be bearable.  Calming down, he let the warmth soak into his muscles, especially his right wrist, which had cramped up the previous night (thanks to _someone's_ head rolling over it).

                Grabbing the shampoo, he started working the water into his hair.  "Aww man!  I may never get the smell of saltwater out of it!"  Never pausing to undo his pigtail, he worked the shampoo into his hair the very best he could.

                When he was finished he walked out into the main room smelling of flowers and saltwater.  "Your turn."

                Akane choked back the retort about the smell she had on the tip of her tongue and went into the bathroom.

                Ranma sighed and started packing some of his things back into his pack.  Once satisfied with that, he went outside for warmups.

~~ 1000 Years ago ~~

                Hamill stared him down, a devil working under the flag of heaven.

                This angel, who had been going through the world gaining the trust of men, only to prevent their entrance into Heaven.

                Taking their reward from them, their SALVATION!

                How could a leader of good do such a thing?

                Hamill didn't know, but he did know one thing.  This would most likely be his final deed for the people of his world.  After this... well, he truly didn't want to think of it.

                "Now, demon in disguise, I plan on taking you from this world!"

                "You know what happens if you kill me?" The angel snickered, taunting the man.

                Grunting angrily, he looked the robed figure in the eye.  "Yes, I am aware of the punishment.  But if I don't, then I also know what would happen then!" Angered now, he began drawing on his energy, creating an aura the likes of which no man should have been able to make.  But then, before him, no one truly thought an aura COULD be made visible!

                Horum watched the man with interest.  It was true, he did those things of which he was accused.  But what this man _didn't_ know, what he couldn't know, was the reason why.  'Oh well.  It's not my place.'

                Bringing up his own aura, Horum prepared for the fight the best he knew how.  With a flash of golden light, he created a staff, also golden, out of mid-air.

                Hamill, however, was content with his sword.

                All thoughts were lost to the two as they went to their fight.

~~

                Ranma found his center and started concentrating.  He began pulling enough energy from his well of strength that even Akane would be able to sense him!

                He did this not to show off, but rather he did it for another reason.  He had found that every time he did so, when he stretched his energy to the maximum, that its limits expanded just a little.

                But even that little bit was enough, especially with him doing it _every_ morning.

                Akane shivered slightly, despite being submerged in the hot water.  Such power sent shivers up her spine.

                Lowering her head beneath the water, she began thinking.  'If this is _his_ power, then what was Saffron like?'

                Well, what could she do?  Rather than thinking too hard about it, she resolved to learn everything Ranma had to teach her.

~~

                CLANG!

                Their respective auras fighting for superiority, the two power fought on as they parried and swung for each-other.

                But the outcome was obvious to any who would observe them.  The human, although mortal, was obviously gaining the upper hand.

                After he showed that he would not be taken by attacks of the distanced variety, Horum found that he was forced into close combat, something that knights were especially proficient in.

                And this one had trained all his life.  He was stronger now than any other human of his time.

                Hamill, however, was not having as good a time as he had hoped.  Strong, he was, but this angel was not doing nearly as well as he had hoped.

                Those from Heaven specialized in distanced combat, magic and holy energies.  But holy energies would not work on one of pure heart as himself, and magic was something he had learned to resist.

                Basically, the staff was the only thing left.

                "AAHH!!" With a shout, he pushed the staff to the side as he ducked to his opponent's side and used the flat side of his sword to ram the angel's side.

                Horum had never known fear before, but when he was struck in the side like that, he realized something.  As long as he was on Earth, he had a mortal body, and he could be killed.

                And this man... knew the punishment, and yet he was okay with it.

                He finally realized it when he was struck in the back and he heard a sickening crack resound through the area.

                "AAAHHHHAAHAAAA!!!!" Suddenly finding his legs useless, he shouted in pain as he was moved to face upright.

                Hamill looked down at the angel, it was now or never.

~~

                "You coming Akane?"

                "Yeah!  I'm coming!" Akane ran after Ranma, the ends of a shirt still hanging out the end of her pack and her hair still slightly damp.

                Smiling, Ranma turned to Akane, who was still slightly pink from her bath.  "Heh, a little hot?"

                "Huh?"

                Ranma pointed to her arm, and when she looked at it, she began puzzling over the pinkish color.  "Uhh, yeah, I guess so."

                "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it, cause it's likely to be the last hot water we'll see in a long time."  Turning around, he faced the forest just beyond the edge of the coastal city.  "Akane, it's time to start your training." Akane took a determined look at hearing this.  "And to start off... you have to find me!" Running off at a speed that Akane had no hope of catching up with, he left Akane puzzled.

                "Uhh?"  Regaining her composure, she jumped after him.  "RANMA!! YOU GET BACK HERE!!"

~~

                "And now, you evil angel.  It comes to this." Lifting his sword to stab downward, Hamill prepared for the final attack.

                Horum closed his eyes calmly, waiting for the strike that would finish him.  He pictured it in his mind, a single stab to his heart and his body would die.

                But it never came.

                Opening his eyes curiously, he looked at the hero, who sputtered weakly with a sword sticking out of his stomach.  He had turned his sword on himself.  "NO!"

                "That's right, I _know_ the punishment for killing an angel!  But now you can't take my body!" The strength began draining from his satisfied eyes as his legs buckled beneath him.  As the blood ran like a geyser from his large wound, he found himself without the strength to continue.  "And now, let's go to hell... together." As he fell forward, he planted his sword directly into the angel's belly.

                With this last act, his life was ended.

                But Horum was not yet finished.  Not yet.

                Spotting a young man not far away, he shouted towards him.  He would last longer than his companion, but the message was something that HAD to be given.

                "You there!  Come here!" Curious to hear a dying man's last words, the boy ran to the angel's side.  "Take this.  On it is everything you need to know.  He is a hero, a hero to the last willing to give his soul for others." Fighting down a choking sensation, he continued.  "But he is not yet finished.  Take this to your elders, they will know what to do."  He handed the boy a wooden plaque with odd markings all over it.

                The Chinese was done very well, but the other markings written all over it made no sense to the boy.

                Besides the Chinese, the only thing he understood was the pictures.

                Nodding solemnly, he stood, varnished plank in hand.  "I will do as asked.  But what of yourself?"

                The angel smiled knowingly.  "I will leave this world.  I have no fear, I knew this would happen, and this is the way it needs to be.  There is no need for you to do anything for me."  Looking the boy in the eye, his eyes held a pleading expression.  "Also, with my death, those men held to me are released.  But his, will take a little more to be redeemed.  Do not forget him, or what you saw here."

                A new pain shot from his stomach as his energy had finally been drained from him.  "Go now, get your elders, they will know what to do." As the last of his strength drained away from him, his body disappeared in a white flash.

                As the boy watched, he found himself confused.

                But the sound of a sword falling to the ground brought him back to the task at hand.

                Running back to his village, he went about his task of giving the instructions to his village elders.

~~

                'Darnit!  He's teasing me!' Akane ran through the forest.  She had finally figured out the point of the exercise.  This was an energy sensing exercise.

                Ranma would stay in one place, powering up to his maximum until Akane came close to him.  And then he would drop it and run to a different place.

                It was beginning to get dark now, and she felt that she was getting better at following him.

                But that didn't seem to help much.  He was still teasing her.

                Ranma watched her walk blindly past him.  He had hidden his energy again and she was now going in the general direction he had last been to her.

                Smiling, he jumped in another random direction.  This was going to be the last time before they turned in for the night.

~~

                "Elder Har Thai!  Elder Har Thai!!  Please!  Come quickly!"

                Elder Har Thai came out of her house carrying her staff.  "What is it boy?"

                "That man!  He's dead!  I saw it." Suddenly remembering the other event he had been involved in, he pulled the plaque from his side-pocket.  "And that angel man said to give this to you."

                "The angel, huh?"

                "Yeah, and he said something else too.  He said that 'Those people bound to me are released now.'  He said that just before he died."

                Looking over the wooden plaque, Har Thai nodded.  "Go get two of our warriors.  Your sister and one of her choice.  Then you will take us to this place." Quickly, the boy nodded.

                'So, he did as promised...  We are truly blessed.' Going back into her house, she gathered the materials the instructions said were required.

                And so, they set out to fulfill the requirements of destiny.

~~

                Ranma stopped in a clearing near a cliff.  If it hadn't been such a sheer cliff, it might have been seen as a valley!

                He wasn't sure what led him here, or why he had stopped.  Something about this place seemed to put him in a somber mood.

                As he walked toward the cliff, each step seemed to put him into a calmer mood.

                He heard Akane land behind him as she walked behind him.  "Are we done now?"

                "For today.  Let's set up camp." Placing his pack on the ground, he produced from it a large canvas tent and several ropes.  He had to admit that Mousse's techniques were sure useful from time to time, especially during times like this.

~~ The Gates ~~

                As Hamill approached the gates, he saw two.  One set was a shining golden color, and the other set was dark obsidian.  He was sure he knew where each of them led.

                Smiling, he saw several people being ushered through the golden gates.  Some of them were rather old, but mixed into them were a number of small children.

                These were the people that Horum had bound to himself.

                Passingly, Hamill wondered how many of those people would be reincarnated, and how many would simply enjoy peace.

                But, that was not for him, and he knew it.

                With a purposeful gait, he walked toward the station of elders.  Four bearded men sat there, with their legs crossed.  Each one of them held a staff similar in design to those used by the Amazon elders.

                Looking him over, they began speaking to him.  "One of pure heart, you are." The one at the farthest left spoke first.

                Then the one on the far right spoke.  "A strong man with a big heart."

                Then the one in the middle left spoke.  "Your destiny, however, is not yet finished."

                The last one stood and walked to him.  "Advance now, and meet with the catalyst of your destiny."

                Hamill walked forward, in the direction the man pointed.

                There, he saw a figure.

                Upon getting close enough, he recognized the form immediately.  "So, you are here?"

                "Yes, and I have no regrets."

                "So what do you have to say for yourself?" Hamill crossed his arms, waiting for an explanation.

                "This was all necessary.  And now I will tell you what I could not tell you in life." Horum then went into the explanation of what was destined to happen.

~~

                Camp had been set up and they had eaten, Ranma doing his best to teach Akane what could and could not be used in cooking.

                She still refused to believe that her cooking was terrible, but she was too tired to argue and just let Ranma show her what to do.

                She didn't even have the energy to tell him what he was doing wrong.  [A/N: Stubborn, ne?]

                Akane ate the food, finding it acceptable after adding a bunch of salt.

                Ranma sighed.  He didn't even know that fish went well with salt!  Well, if that's how she likes it, who was he to argue?

                He missed the tears that she was fighting back.  'Too much salt...'

                After dinner they had decided to calm down and put out the fire.

                As Akane settled herself in her sleeping bag Ranma went outside, assuring her that he was just going out for a walk.  She only nodded and wondered where he found room for those bags in that little pack of his.

                Outside, Ranma turned on his flashlight and started toward the cliff.  He wanted to know where that energy was coming from.

                Upon arriving at the cliff-face he saw it.

                It looked like a shrine of some sort, which would explain the energy signature.  What he didn't recognize was the writing that surrounded three swords.

                Taking a closer look at the swords embedded into the smoothed stone, he ran his fingers across the largest one.  It was about a meter long, but had blades on both sides, unlike a Katana.  It had a strange set of designs on it in cool blues and purples.

                On either side of it were two other swords.  These were definitely Japanese in styling.  One was a katana, with a simple-yet-deadly blade going down the length of one side.  The hilt had a strange design on it, but the blade seemed rather plain.

                Opposite the Katana was a smaller blade, only about half the length of the other two swords.  It was a Kodachi, its hilt had a similar design and the blade had two edges, much like the largest sword.

                He didn't really understand all of it, but he did know one thing.  This _was_ like a shrine, dedicated to a great man, and these were _his_ swords.

                Bowing in respect, he left.

                What he didn't see was the way that the place where his fingers met metal glowed red for a moment, then faded into a blue outline, and then disappeared completely.

~~ Hell, current day ~~

                Horum's final words echoed in his mind.  'The Demon Lord's power cannot reach you, so you are safe from his meddling.  And because of it, you are destined to be his downfall.  Gather allies, and instill in them hope, and go.  Kill him.  Only then can you, and everyone else, be freed.'

                He opened his eyes.  "It's time."  Approaching the entrance, he heard a roar, the roar of an angry creature trying to intimidate.

                But he was not intimidated, nor had he ever been.  'Satan, or whatever your name is.  This is your last day.'

                Staying just outside the cave, he shouted out.  "Come out!  I wish to see you!  Satan!"

                He didn't have to wait long as he heard the sound of pounding footsteps coming down the corridor.

                Before him a gigantic creature erupted from the cave.  It was some fifty meters tall and red skinned.  It had curved horns that stopped just below his sharp smile.  Each arm was like a sick tree that was reduced to only its strongest limbs and it's legs were like tree trunks leading up to its body.  He was covered in sharp spikes and along his spine were several spines, each at least five meters in length.

                Hamill stared the creature down.  'Well, at least we know what was making those roaring sounds.'  "Now, Demon, I will kill you!"

                Calling up an aura of deep purple, he faced the monster down.  With an anger born of pain and determination he called on energies he should never have had.  "And now, with the power of ALL OF HELL, I STRIKE YOU DOWN!  MONSTER!!"

                All of hell shuddered as he blasted the creature into the ground.

                Every eye was turned to the epicenter of hell as that man, the only soul in hell that wasn't lost, came forth with power never before seen in hell by any other than Satan himself.

                All Hell went silent as the screams of the creature echoed throughout the caverns and a purple light washed over all the souls in the land of the lost.

                Once his attack was finished, he stood, unscathed and seemingly without having lost any strength at all.  Even with his body so brittle, rotted and burned, he seemed to be the symbol of strength.

                All of hell stayed silent, every eye turned to the man, expectant.  Many expected him to tell them what they had hoped he would tell them, that Satan was dead and they were free.

                But it was not finished yet, as the man yelled out again.  "Come out Satan.  I do not wish to fight your minions any longer, as my target is you, and only you."

                As they heard this, some of the souls of hell remembered the sorrow they felt while others went back to their howling stemmed from torture.

                But above all the noise, he could hear the quiet, calm footsteps of the evil overlord approaching the mouth of the cave.

                From the mouth of the cave he came, and stepped into the gloomy light of the main area.

                He had stringy green hair and calm blue eyes.  He was wearing a blood-red shirt with matching pants that reached to his ankles.

                One would not have thought that this man would belong in hell, were it not for the small black horns above each eye, or the large black wings that reached like the wings of the raven in flight.

                Even the look in his eyes, one of calm calculation, betrayed his evil.

                This was the king of demons, and the lord of Hell.

                "So you show your true form.  Shall we begin?"

                The both of them set up for battle, a battle to decide the fate of so many.

~~

                On Earth, the shrine of the fallen hero glowed a dull crimson.  The runes surrounding each sword responded to their master as it came time for their purpose to be fulfilled.

                Ready or not, the world was in for a shock.

                ~~~~~~***   End of Chapter 2   ***~~~~~~

                And now you know.  You know of the hero, and of his fall.

                The dark angel of light guided him to hell.  And now he is about to face the fallen angel of darkness.

                But... as there always is one, not all the consequences are clear.  And even the overlord himself has a message for our hero.

                Never count a hero out.

                Till next time!

Bringer of Hope and Creator of Worlds

                Alex and Alex Ultra

                                LATER


	3. The End of the Beginning

                Welcome back!  There is yet another chapter here, so that must mean that I have written more, ne?

                Our computer only recently got to working again.  It turns out that one of the piece-of-junk parts that originally came with the computer (from Gateway) burned out and messed with the rest of the computer.  (I can't express enough of how much I don't like Gateway…)

                Okay, enough dilly-dallying, on with the story!

                ~~~~~~***   THE END OF THE BEGINNING   ***~~~~~~

                As Hamill watched his target stand there, he asked a question.  "What are you thinking right now, demon?"

                The Demon Lord didn't waste a second with his answer.  "I am wondering how you plan to harm me in my own domain?"

                "I don't plan on _harming_ you, I plan on destroying you."

                "Is that so?" Somehow, this lost soul looked, at least to the Demon Lord, to be anything but lost.  And even he could tell, this man knew what he was doing.  "Well now, I can't allow that to happen, can I?" As he smiled madly, his eyes widened and his wings took on a dark glow.  "I WILL TEACH YOU WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO STAND AGAINST ME!!"

                Charging the human at lightning speed, he went for the most devastating blow he could.  He aimed directly for the heart, where the soul itself was stored.

                At the last possible second, the man moved out of the way while grabbing his assailant's hand and flinging him into a formless pack of dirt floating aimlessly nearby.  Several souls found themselves relocated by the impact.

                The hero watched his target climb out of the crater he had created in the disembodied ground.

                "Satan, or whatever your name is, this is your final day.  You will hold these people no longer!" A bright aura of deep purple surrounded him and bathed hell in a glow foreign to the reddened landscape.  "By the strength given me by the people of Hell, I WILL DESTROY YOU!!!"  Bringing both hands back, he prepared an attack of immense proportions.

                "So... you are using their sorrow as your weapon." The Demon Lord laughed in realization of what this man was planning.  "Indeed, there is quite a lot of it here for you to draw on."  He stood threateningly, as if daring this man to attack him.  Looking crazily at him and baring his fangs, he began mocking the poor soul.  "DO YOU NOT REALIZE THAT IT IS THEIR PAIN THAT IS _MY_ STRENGTH!!!???  YOU CANNOT HARM ME WITH THAT!!"  He began laughing maniacally as the hero smiled.

                "We'll see about that." The energy took on a slightly golden hue at the edges just as he fired his attack.  "AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"

                "AAAHHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!" It took a moment for the king of demons to register the pain he was feeling.  "What?  Augh!  AhhhhHHHHH!!!" Like a thousand knives stabbing his heart, he felt the pain that reached to his very essence.

                The attack ended, and the constant wailing that had long ago become background noise suddenly stopped upon hearing _him_ shouting in pain.  It was a sound that no one could place.  The lord of hell, was in pain!

                The sound of one voice rang out in the eerie silence.  Even the sound of the greatest evil's pain had subsided when the hero spoke out.  "Are you confused?  After all, how could the people's sorrow, their pain, their desperation, how could those things that are your strength possibly harm you?" Smiling, he taunted the evil lord as he stared him down.  "Well I have the answer.  And it's not anything you've done or not done.  Rather, it lies in what I gave in return for that energy."

                He floated to stand in front of the fallen angel, arms crossed and confidence surrounding him.  "I gave them hope.  The hope that they could finally leave this place.  And with that hope, I have cut you off from their energy."

                As the Demon Lord looked at him with contempt in his eyes, he began the next stage.  "And hope being a positive energy, I can reach out.  Back to the living world."  The dark angel's eyes widened in realization of just what he meant.

~~

                The shrine of three swords erupted in sudden light.  It called forth, bringing in energy from the farthest reaches of the world, recalling the energy lost to the world.

                Like a hungry vacuum, it pulled it all in, and in the early morning hours, the valley of the fallen hero fell back to the light of the morning sun.

                Leaving two particular people puzzled.

                Ranma looked suddenly determined.  "Akane, remember that thing I wanted to show you this morning?"

                "Yeah."

                "Well, let's go there now." As they headed off, they had no idea what was about to happen.  They only knew that such an explosion was not normal.

~~

                Seemingly out of nowhere, a stream of white light came to him, enveloping the hero in the light of life.

                As he accepted it, before the Demon Lord's very eyes, he changed.

                His flesh was restored as was his power.  Calling back to the living world, he called back his own power to him.

                As he stood there, his eyes changed from the blank yellow orbs to the lively blue eyes he had in life.  His deep blonde hair came back, flowing like waves of grain in the wind, and his skin came back to full life, restoring his strength and adding it to the already incredible stores of power.

                As the last of the energy flowed into him, a set of white robes surrounded him as his armor took its place beneath them.  Across the front lay the symbol of the united Chritian Church, across which lay several other symbols from across the world.

                The demon smiled knowingly.  "I see." He may be evil, but he wasn't stupid.  He was left powerless by this man's antics, and now he was drawing from energies of all types.  From the deepest of the dark, to the brightest of the light.  "So he's done it again.  And it's quite the work of art this time, isn't it?"  Shaking his head, he left the hero puzzled as to what he was talking about.  "But regardless, I have to fight you _with everything I've got!_"  'In the off chance you don't realize exactly what kind of power you weild.'

                The two superpowers collided in mid-air, floating in the sky-less space of the dark world.  The shock of their fight was resounding throughout the corridors of hell as a white light bathed the area with every strike.

                There was no such luck for the evil overlord.  Hamill was a trained hero, and he knew _exactly_ what kind of power he was in posession of, and there was no way to take it from him now.

                'He's too slow.  But I suppose that's for the better.' Hamill ducked under a piercing attack and pulled on the arm to bring his opponent into him with greater speed.  Putting enough energy into his elbow to crush mountains, he rammed the dark angel down, leaving him battered on the ground.

                "And now, the final moment comes for you.  The chains of hell will no longer hold as the walls will crumble!  The people's hopes will go answered as their debts have been paid."  He put both hands above his head as he looked down in determination.  "And with this final attack!  I strike you down!"

                A golden aura mixed with the violet and white energies he had gathered.  "Dancing Golden Hearts attack... combined with Hope of Ten-Trillion Souls.  DANCING GOLDEN HOPE OF TEN-TRILLION HEARTS!!!"  A ball of power appeared above him, the outcast energy alone from it caused all of hell to shake and rumble in response to the energy being gathered.  Within the outer golden ball were three smaller balls of energy, one purple, one blue, and one red, revolving around eachother until they melted into eachother to create a single ball.  Several tentacles reached out of the central ball and seemed to latch onto the inside of the outer sphere.

                The outer limits of the attack retracted until the entire ball was now no more than a meter across, where before it had been a total of a kilometer from end to end.

                The fear written across the Demon Lord's eyes was suddenly lost.  "Well, it appears that you were right.  But I feel sorry for those still on Earth.  They're going to find their world drastically changed." As he said this, the sphere of power hit him, absorbing him into itself as he screamed in a pain beyond anything known before.  As the energy within ripped and shredded his body.

                It even reached to his soul.  A power so great that an immortal could feel pain that left a scar.

                As his soul was ripped from his realm, the burst of power let loose in an explosion capable of destroying planets, bathing all of hell in a white light that ripped the foundation from its place.

~~

                As Ranma and Akane watched the shrine, the center sword began glowing with a dull red energy.  "Ranma, what's going on?"

                "I don't know, Akane.  But I think we may be finding out soon."

~~

                As Hamill breathed his sigh of relief, he began hearing something he never thought he'd hear in such a place.  So many people had seen him do the impossible, and now they were cheering.

                As he looked over the formless souls of Hell, he suddenly saw something he thought he may never see again.  The white wings of an angel were beating their way toward him.

                He waited for him to close the distance before he adressed Horum.  "Well, now what?"

                "Now, you leave.  The walls are crumbling.  However, you are needed on Earth again."

                "What!?  Why?"

                "Because." Seeing the human's look he started sounding like an angry teacher.  "Now don't look at me like that!  Besides, reincarnation is the only way that you can re-take the life you lost."

                "Oh?"

                "Yes.  But look!  See what you've done!  All those souls getting their chance at peace!" As Hamill looked around he saw what he had been waiting to see for a thousand years.

                White points of light floated through the air, headed toward a white hole that had appeared in the ground where his final attack had taken effect.

                As he looked around, he saw more white portals begin to appear as more and more souls were let loose from their bindings.

                "So it's done.  But why am I still needed?"

                The angel lowered his head.  "Because, it's part of The Redemption.  When the walls of Hell are taken down, good and bad alike escape.  Those who will go to Heaven will go there, some will be reincarnated.  But along with these are those who were never meant to leave.  And the world will need a hero."  He let loose a chuckle.  "Most likely, they already have one, but that won't do a bit of good if they aren't warned of the danger.  Which is why I took the liberty of providing you with a beacon."

                "What?"

                "A hero on par with yourself will be near your door, drawn there by your strength.  You must warn him, and provide any help you can."  Suddenly, a strange swirling mass of energy appeared next to them.  "But before you go, there's a few things you need to know."

~~

                Ranma was on his butt, right next to Akane who had a similar reaction.  There was no hostility there, but it had surprised them all the same when that strange swirling mass of energy appeared right in the middle of the cave they were in.  "Yep, here we go."

                They watched the light for a while, backing away only slightly, but never leaving it out of sight.

                After about five minutes the light pulsed, filling the area with a warmth that didn't strike them as hostile at all.

                Rather, it felt... friendly.

                The mass of light began to morph and change, first elongating, and then stretching four tentacle-like parts out in four directions.

                They began hearing the pained grunting and yelling of a small child as the light took a human form.

                "It's a... kid?" Akane looked mesmerized the small form twisted and moved in mid-air.

                A set of red and blue clothes appeared in a shifting ring of light as it moved around the child's still-lit body.

                As Ranma watched, he could feel an energy signature spark into life, and suddenly erupt into a raging inferno before his eyes.  And in response, the child curled up into a ball, only to stretch out and shout in a herculean effort to contain it all.

                The screams alone was enough to make their ears bleed, but the added effect of the energy blasted them backward as lightning arced through the air.

                After a moment or so, the child floated there, seemingly stunned.  And, as the aura dropped, revealing ruby red hair and bright blue eyes, the child fell limply to the ground before them.

                Looking first to each other, and then to the child on the ground, they decided to help... him?  her?

                Deciding it wasn't important at the moment, they then took the child into their care.

~~

                The child opened her eyes to find that she was staring at the top of a tent.

                Looking around, she suddenly realized that she didn't know where she was.

                For that matter, she didn't know WHO she was!

                But she heard voices outside, maybe they would know what was going on?

                "Who is she?" Well, that was one question they couldn't answer.

                "I don't know.  Maybe we can ask her?" Fat chance.

                "I don't know.  Maybe it has something to do with that shrine-thingy?" Shrine-thingy?

                "Probably, but I want to know why she looks so much like me..." Ranma looked over to find the girl in question sitting on the ground just outside the tent, listening in on the conversation.  "Well hello.  Are you feeling okay?"

                "Hello.  Can you tell me where we are?" The genuinely curious look in her eyes said that she was NOT joking.

                "Uh... well.  We're somewhere in China."

                "What's a China?" Ranma managed to fall over while sitting.

                "Okay, forget that.  Can you tell me your name?"

                The girl shook her head no.  "Uh-uh.  I was hoping you could tell me."

                Akane had scooted beside the two and decided to speak up.  "Well, we need a name to call you by.  So... uh." She suddenly found herself drawing a blank.

                As Akane sat with her mouth hanging open, Ranma turned to the girl.  "Well, do _you_ have any ideas?"

                Looking at the strange girl across from her she blinked a couple of times as she imitated the action.

                Ranma looked from one to the other, and then sighed as he massaged his forehead.  "Great, I don't need _two_ brain-dead girls around!"

                "HEY!!" Akane responded immediately, and then looked blankly into Ranma's face.  "What were we talking about again?"

                Ranma promptly fell over backwards as the girl imitated the action, not really understanding why he did it, but finding that it was painful.

                Ranma got back up again as did the other girl.  He then adressed the child with a question.  "Have you thought of a name?"

                The girl blinked in thought for a moment, than looked him in the eye.  "How about Har Lin?"

                "Hairline?" Akane looked confused (again).

                "No, Har Lin.  What made you come up with that?" Ranma adressed the young girl again.

                "I dunno.  It was just the first thing to come to mind."

                "Well, how about if we shorten it to Lin?"

                "I guess that's okay." The girl smiled.  "Besides, I don't think I want to be called Hairline!"

                Akane laughed at the mild humor.  "Okay, so, um, do you know any martial arts?"

                "Any what?"

                Ranma sighed.  "I guess that's a no." Smiling, he waved at Lin as he pulled Akane along by the shoulder.  "Can you give us a minute really quick?"

                Lin didn't really understand, but she didn't see any real reason to say no.  Not that Ranma gave her the chance to.

                "Ranma!  What's this about!?"

                "Akane!  Did you feel that power she put off earlier?"

                Akane found herself quieted just a bit.

                "You did, didn't you?" Akane shook her head no.  "What?"

                "No.  I could see it, but I couldn't feel it."

                Ranma was shell-shocked.  "You can't be serious!  You chased me halfway across lower China by just my energy, but you couldn't sense THAT!?"

                "That's right Ranma!  YOUR energy!  I _know_ your energy!"  Dropping the scowl just a little, she decided to get Ranma to get to the point.  "But I can tell that it was big.  And you're going to say something about that."

                Fighting back his frustration, Ranma nodded.  "Yes.  She's got a lot of power.  If you had sensed it, you would know that it's about a third as big as mine." His gaze became serious as he looked at the girl behind Akane, who was currently staring in rapt awe of a butterfly.  "But..."

                As a hundred or so thoughts ran through Ranma's mind, Akane finally became impatient with him.  "But WHAT Ranma!?"

                "But, she's got no control.  If something were to happen, or she became too emotional...  She could cause problems."  

~~

                Ranma and the girl were training in form.  Ranma was doing his best to teach both Akane and Lin simultaneously.  Akane was doing rather well, but Lin kept on falling over.

                "It's okay Lin.  You'll get the hang of it.  Akane's already been doing something like this for years!" Ranma helped the small girl off the ground as she frowned at her inability to remain standing while spinning.

                "Let's try some punching instead for now.  Then we can move on to kicks."

                Lin nodded.  Punching sounded easier than kicking.

~~

                Ranma ended up finding fault in Lin's form, but was quick to help out.  He then wa also able to find fault in _Akane's_ punches.  He gave her tips in such, and she did improve noteably.

                Well, to Ranma it was noteably.  Lin couldn't see what was different.

                Lin did, however, do her best to do as asked.  She wanted to do her best for these nice people.  She didn't care if she messed up a lot.  So long as she was giving it her all.

~~

                The three of them sat around a fire.  "So Lin.  Did you have a good time today?"

                Ranma looked inquisitively to the small girl accross from him.  As she thought on the question, she put one hand to her backside.  Nodding, she responded, "Except for the part when I hit my butt.  Yes."

                Akane started laughing good-naturedly, and Ranma found it contagious.  After a little while, and a few moments of staring at the two of them curiously, Lin started laughing too.

                'Why are we laughing?'

                Akane managed to calm down enough to speak.  "He-yeah.  I remember first starting out with Anything-Goes.  I fell on _my_ butt a lot too."

                "You _still_ fall on your butt a lot!" Ranma began laughing even more now.

                Lin started laughing the moment Ranma did, and stopped when she noticed that Akane was now standing.

                Standing as well, she copied the other girl as she stalked dangerously toward Ranma, who was laughing at his own joke.

                Ranma noticed their silence too late to save himself.

                He saw two sets of angry eyes staring down at him.  He knew what he had done to Akane, but what did he do to Lin?  'Oh shoot.'

                As Akane chased her 'Sensei' around the surrounding forest, Lin imitated the actions.  "GET BACK HERE YOU COWARD!!"

                "AAH!  AKANE!  I DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING BY IT!  REALLY!"

                "Yeah!  Get back here you coward!"

                "SEE?  LIN WANTS YOU TO COME BACK TOO!"

                "Yeah!  See?  Lin wants you to come back too!  I do?"

                "See!?  She's just copyin!"

                "She's just copyin!  Ranma?  What's copyin mean?"

                "I'll tell ya later!  Akane!  Watch where you swing that thing!  Aah!" Ranma found his head to be the part of him on the recieving end of a mallet strike.

                He quickly fell to the ground, hitting it by the top of his head.

                Akane watched the little redhead imitate the pose Ranma had landed in, trying to balance on her head and have her legs out at the same time.

                "No Lin.  We stand like this while we laugh at the stupid boy on the ground!" As she looked in the small hole, she noticed something awry.  "Hey?  Where'd he go?"

                "Right here!" Ranma put his hands around Akane's eyes.

                "Hey!  Let go of me!"

                "Have you worked the violence out of your system?" Ranma's voice was suddenly serious.

                Akand stood for a moment, then nodded vigorously.

                Ranma removed his hands from her eyes.  "Girl, we gotta work on that temper of yours.  Or else it's gonna get you in trouble one day!"

                Akane (and Lin) only huffed indignantly.

~~

                Lin was the first to fall asleep.  Ranma sacrificed his own comfort to give the girl his sleeping bag.

                As he sat in the surprisingly warm night at the edge of the tent, he wondered about the girl they had picked up earlier that day.

                With all they had gone through on just that one day, it seemed like it should have been longer than it really was.

                That girl's tendancy to copy everything and the constant smile already seemed like it should have been a part of his life from the beginning.

                And the familar red hair and blue eyes.  She looked just like him!  Well, his girl side anyway.  But why?

                With these thoughts swimming in his head, he managed to fall asleep just behind the tent door.

~~

                The next morning they started training bright and early.  "But why before light-time?" Lin was rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she stretched her arms out.

                Ranma smiled.  "Because this way we can tell our bodies to not get tired.  Then we can practice more and more."

                "And besides, if Ranma doesn't get up early, then I'll get cranky." Akane was rubbing the sleep from her own eyes, giving a subtle warning to the pig-tailed boy.

                From there they practiced.  They practiced through the morning, eating when hungry, and sitting to breathe whenever Ranma felt they had pushed far enough for long enough.

                During one of these times, Lin started a conversation.  "Hey Ranma?"

                "Hmm?"

                "Do you know where I come from?"

                Ranma looked down silently for a moment before shaking his head no.  "No, I don't.  And niether does Akane." He motioned to the girl who was now on the ground, sprawled out and breathing as if snoring.

                "Then... can you tell me how you found me?"

                Ranma smiled.  "Well, I could tell you now, or I could show you later?"

                "You can show me?"

                "Yea... you really don't remember, do you?"

                "Uh-uh.  It feels really weird, but... I know how to walk and talk, but that's all I know.  I don't know anything else and as hard as I try, I can't remember anything."

                Seeing Lin look sad sorta hurt Ranma... so he suggested something.  "Well, my pops always said something at times like this.  'When you don't want to think, beat the living daylights out of something!'  Let's get back to our training and you'll feel a lot better!"

                Akane sat up and eyed Ranma.  "Did he really say that?"

                Ranma laughed loudly.  "HAHA!!  No, at least I don't think so.  But that's sure the way he acted!  And it works, don't it?"

                Akane smiled darkly.  "Well, it sure works for me."

                Ranma cringed as he looked at her.  "Uh... hehe!"

                It was at that point that a familiar voice called out.  "RANMA!!!"

                "Oh, man!  Not him." A familiar fanged boy stomped out of the forest with vengeance in his eyes.

                "RANMA!  YOU SHALL NOT TAKE AKANE!"

                Ranma sighed and stood to adress the lost boy.  "Ryoga, we're kinda busy right now, so if you could just leave?"

                "Damn you Ranma!  Because of you, I have seen HELL!!  Do you think I will leave Akane in your care!?"

                Lin's eyes went wide as she began backing away in unseen fear.  She began shaking and fear began seeping into her voice.  "No..."

                "Lin, are you okay?" Akane began wondering what was wrong the moment the girl stood.

                But she didn't hear Akane's questioning.  She simply continued to back away slowly.  "No... no-no-no-no-no-NO!  I WON'T GO BACK TO THAT PLACE!!!"

                Now she even had Ryoga's attention.  "So, Ranma, you have even shown a CHILD what Hell is like!?"

                "Hey!  Now wait a minute!"

                "Ranma, you disgust me.  NOW LET ME SHOW YOU THE HELL THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN ME!!!" He went to punch the pig-tailed boy, but hit air as his target dodged behind the heavy-set boy.

                Ranma was about to kick Ryoga away when he felt it.  That same energy he had felt before.

                Turning around, he saw Lin, standing there, bathed in a bright white light and she appeared to be rather angry about something.

                Ryoga looked her over, noticing the amount of energy she was producing.  'What is this?'

                Lin began growling out at the lost boy, an anger stemming from unknown places fueling the waves of power the three were feeling from her.  "You do not KNOW HELL!!!"  She slowly began to walk toward the lost, and now confused, boy.  "You do not know the feeling.  The feeling of hopelessness, of sorrow, the feeling of pure desperation!  You have not seen, or _felt_ the constant torture!  You do not KNOW of the way that every second spent there holds a new kind of pain!  Pain that _stabs to the SOUL_!  You have not heard the desperate, constant wailing of trillions of lost souls calling out for mercy!"  She balled up one fist as the white light grew brighter and a second, deeper voice joined her own.  "You have not felt the HATE boiling in the deepest pits!  And you have not stared down the _demons_ constantly roaming the fiery plains, valleys, and chasms searching for particularly evil men for their supper!" The young, youthful voice gave way completely as a brightly lit form of a man overtook the child-like one of a moment before.  "AND I WILL _NOT_ BE HAVING YOU WISH SUCH A THING ON _ANYONE_!"

                Ryoga was backing away, suddenly not wanting to be there anymore.  His voice was shaking as he spoke his concern, "W-what are you!?"

                The strong voice of this man suddenly sounded sad for some reason.  "I... am one who's heart heard that call, and answered it."  He balled his fist as he regained his anger.  "Hell is not a place for the eyes of the living, and even the dead _shudder_ as they stand at the gates of other world, where the sounds of that place call out.  But... if you want to see it, I can show you..." He walked slowly toward the boy, his hand flexing, stressing, then relaxing, and stressing again.

                Ryoga backed away, looking a bit like Genma when cornered.  Waving both hands in front of him and smiling, showing one fang, he shook his head no.  "Ah, no, that's okay!  No need, really!"  Feeling the glare directed down at him, he covered his head, as if trying to protect himself from an attack.

                But the attack never came.

                Inspecting his hands to make sure they were still there, he looked up.

                The man was still there, as was the aura that lit the area.  But he seemed to be fighting himself over something.  His glare was constantly shifting between anger and shock as he stood there, his hand mere inches from the lost boy's head, still flexed in a cupped position.

                As Ryoga started sliding away, the man stood up straight, with both hands in fists at his sides.  "I believe you get the idea."

                As he calmed down, the white energy disipated as the form of the man suddenly seemed to shred, and disappear, leaving only the child behind.  "Leave now.  Please."  Ryoga didn't take even a second to comply as he left the scene behind him, trying to forget the fear he felt.

                'What kind of demon WAS that!?'  Blinking, he noticed that his surroundings were nothing like what they were just a moment before.  Sighing, he fell to the ground.  'I've never been so glad to be lost.'

                Right then, Ranma was smiling as he looked at the girl, who just seemed to be standing there, staring at her hands as if they would speak to her if she stared at them long enough.  "Wow!  I've NEVER seen _anyone_ scare Ryoga like that!"

                The girl didn't respond, instead, she simply stood there and put her hands at her sides, as if giving up.

                After an uncomfortable moment, she spoke.  "My name, is Hamill."  She turned around with tears in her eyes.  "But I wasn't supposed to remember that for a while." Dropping to the ground, she began to sob.  "And now I'm stuck this way.  Stuck learning to live again with the memories of my old life, and of death." The two others there were shocked, they didn't know what to say.  But she smiled.  "Oh well, I suppose that means I can warn you that much sooner."

                Ranma recognized that tone.  That tone always meant something bad.

                What he didn't know, was exactly how bad it really was.

                ~~~~~~***   End of Chapter 3   ***~~~~~~

                Well, that's the end of that one.  I'll just let you digest that for a while.

                ...

                ...

                ...

                ...

                ...

                Been long enough?  Well, I guess the story will begin in earnest now.  Not that this so far wasn't a story, or part of the story, but as one chapter ends, another begins.  So the end of the beginning is the point at which one ends and the next finishes the beginning.  Confused?  Good.  I speak in riddles that can only be solved with very little thought.

                Ouch, my stomach hurts.  O.o  Where did my stomach come into this?

                Alex: Your stomach gets into everything!  Hehe.

                Alex Ultra: No, that's yours.

                Alex: Hey!  I can't help it if I've got a high metabolism!

                Alex Ultra: Oh, is that code for 'I've got a black hole for a stomach.'?

                Alex: O.O Um, I guess in my case, yes.

                Alex Ultra: Oh geeze. [On the floor]

                Alex: ^.^' I'm gonna order some pizza, kay?

                Alex Ultra: Whatever.

                Alex: ^.^+

                Till next time.

Bringer of Hope and Creator of Worlds

                Alex and Alex Ultra

                                LATER


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